BGH: “Volunteers make our hospital better”

On April 11, 2019, Nick Vlacholias, President and CEO at Brockville General Hospital; Hugh Bates, Honouray President of the Brockville General Volunteer Association; and Jim Cooper, BGH’s Board Chair recognize the Hospital’s over 280 volunteers at a special event celebrating National Volunteer Week. – Submitted Photo

Brockville – Brockville General Hospital (BGH) celebrated the over 280 hospital volunteers on April 11 in recognition of National Volunteer Week. As part of the celebration, an appreciation tea was held at BGH’s Charles Street Site, giving staff and physicians the opportunity to say thank you to all the volunteers for their continued dedication.

“Our volunteers are often the first people our patients and families see when they walk into our hospital,” said Jim Cooper, Chair of BGH’s Board of Directors. “A smiling, welcoming face and eagerness to help alleviates the stress of our patients. You make our hospital better.”

Hugh Bates, honouray president of Brockville General Volunteer Association (BGVA), expressed his, and the volunteers, gratitude for the week of recognition.

“It’s great to see so many volunteers join us for this recognition tea,” said Bates. “On behalf of the Brockville General Volunteer Association, I thank BGH for recognizing all the work volunteers do for the hospital.”

BGH volunteers gave over 28,000 hours of their time to support hospital services in 2018. Volunteers work in numerous support capacities across BGH’s two sites, including Day Surgery, Palliative Care, and the Wagon Gift Shop.

In 2018, the BGVA donated over $110,000 to the Hospital. These funds supported the purchase of new medical equipment and the Cardiac Rehab Program. Additionally, the BGVA has generously committed $200,000, over four years, to the BGH’s Redevelopment Project, which will see all hospital services located on the Charles Street site in spring 2020.

“Volunteers provide an immeasurable value to BGH, our staff and our patients,” shared Nick Vlacholias, President and CEO at BGH. “They are entwined in our daily operations, and allow us to provide better patient care. As we look towards our expansion next spring, we know our volunteers will be a critical part of our success.”

National Volunteer Week is held annually in April to celebrate and thank Canada’s over 12.7 million volunteers.